PDP Will Pardon Amaechi, Wamakko If They Apologise

PDP gives condition for Amaechi, Wamakko pardon

The Peoples Democratic has said it would recall the Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, and his Sokoto State counterpart, Aminu Wamakko, from their suspension if they apologise to the party.

The ruling party said the governors were suspended in the interest of the party. It said it would only recall the two governors if they showed remorse for their actions and recognised the supremacy of the party.

While the party suspended Wamakko on Wednesday for alleged “disrespect and act of insubordination” to its National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, and his office, Amaechi was suspended on May 27, for refusing to reinstate a local government chairman in the state.

Speaking to our correspondent on the telephone on Friday, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, said it was saddening that Amaechi and Wamako took actions that warranted their punishment.

He noted that the suspension of the governors from the party was to enforce party discipline, adding that, “there is no correlation between their suspension; it’s purely coincidental.”

Metuh said, “Anytime there’s remorse from our leaders and governors, we will rejoin with them.

“We’ll welcome them with both hands; we’d rejoice with them and their reunion. That’s what we want; we just want an acceptance of the supremacy of the party’s organs.

“As a party, we seek to add more; we don’t seek to reduce. Everything that happened was quite unfortunate. It was bound to happen in the interest of the party. Not that we rejoice in it; we are sad about the development. We are not happy about it.”

The PDP spokesman said the party gave Wamakko an opportunity to defend himself but he allegedly ignored the party.

Metuh said, “We invited him and he didn’t come. We invited him the second time and he didn’t come. We wrote him and he directed the state secretary to reply. What other fair hearing did he want?

“We gave him the opportunity to defend himself. Is it fair to abandon his party? Is it fair to be indisciplined? Is it fair that he abdicated his responsibility to his party?”